Think back to October 18, 2013. Can’t remember what students did that day? Here’s a hint: it was Pumpkin Fest.
Walking downtown, spending time with friends and consuming alcohol—these are things some students might remember about October 18. However, for members of the Keene State College volleyball team, recollection of this day is a little different.
While October 18 marked a day where the population in the City of Keene rose, it stood as a day of preparation and concentration for the Lady Owls. The following morning, the KSC volleyball team would be off to Holyoke, Mass., for a match against Mt. Holyoke College.
Sure, the team could have had a drink or two, but this would cause one problem: a violation in their team’s policy.
According to KSC Volleyball Coach, Bob Weiner, “We have a 24-48 hour rule in which we ask our players not to consume alcoholic beverages forty-eight hours before a game and twenty-four hours before a practice.”
KSC sophomore Alexis Michal noted that this rule is challenging but rewarding during Pumpkin Fest weekend.
“It’s hard because it’s one of the biggest weekends in Keene and we miss all of it because we’re away. But I also think it’s part of playing a sport,” Michal said.
Coach Weiner likes to hold his athletes to a high standard. “We have traditionally doubled the penalties for alcohol violations. The athletic department will suspend an athlete for two matches for a dorm violation or public intoxication. We add an additional two,” Weiner said.
While some students would see these rules as an unfair punishment, the volleyball players have come to respect them rather than object to them.
Photo Illustration By: Brian Cantore / Photo Editor
KSC junior Samantha Branning said, “I don’t know of many other sports who have the 24-48 hour rule before a practice. But I know that we definitely can practice harder. We even had practice at six a.m. this year, so if we were drinking the night before it would have showed. So, we kind of get a lot more done because of that rule.”
It is no hidden secret that some KSC athletes take what they do very seriously.
When a student who is not on an athletic team gets caught drinking, it means getting written up, or even getting arrested. However, on top of this, when an athlete gets caught drinking, it means losing at least two games from their season.
Perhaps more importantly, it can mean letting down coaches and teammates. KSC junior softball team member, Rachel Boynton, said that being on a team requires a lot of dedication and trust. As with the volleyball team, her teammates do not have a problem with such a system. “I think our team is very good in that area. We have very strict leadership, our seniors set a high bar for our team to follow the rules,” Boynton said.
In the case that an incident does occur, however, KSC Softball Coach Charlie Beach said that it is understandable every once in a while if something goes wrong.
“We suspend them for the two games and get on with life,” Beach said, of alcohol violations.
While Beach said he focuses on moving forward, Director of Athletics, John Ratliff, said that it is important for the athletes to understand why these rules are in place.
“It’s a deterrent, but it’s also an educational sanction. A lot of it is through the college in general. Our policy just folds in with what the college’s policy on alcohol and even on drugs is because they have the educational sanctions if somebody’s picked up for underage drinking in a residence hall; there’s usually an educational sanction that goes along with it,” Ratliff said.
In regard to the educational sanction, Ratliff mentioned a program KSC Swimming and Diving Coach Jack Fabian started this year for his first-year athletes.
The program included a series of meetings that helped the students get informed about the effects of alcohol in addition to the college’s implemented policies.
Freshman swimmer Gabrielle Brzozowski said the program had many benefits and she would recommend it to other teams.
“It definitely was a good way to see the difference between the way it was in high school and the way it is here at Keene State. I think it was a really good way for us to get to know each other very well while also learning about the effects of alcohol,” Brzozowski said of the program.
While Ratliff said that alcohol usage by student-athletes is no more or less than general students, there is still a level of responsibility that each KSC student-athlete carries. “As athletes, they are held to a higher standard than the general student because they enjoy privileges that the general student doesn’t,” Associate Director of Athletics, Robert Colbert, said. “It’s a more high-profile situation when our kids get in trouble because athletes in general, especially here, are highprofile people.”
While the world of KSC athletics may not be “picture perfect,” some KSC athletes hold themselves to high standards. This commitment has lead to 13 straight Little East Conference Commissioner’s Cups, two straight LEC President’s Cups and a tradition of success for KSC athletes.
Diana Pimer can be contacted at dpimer@keene-equinox.com
